When these died, their other selves continued to exist and to hold the same rank in the spirit world as they did in this one.  The ti, emperor, became the Shang Ti, Emperor on High, who dwelt in T’ien, Heaven (originally the great dome). [11] And Shang Ti, the Emperor on High, was worshipped by ti, the emperor here below, in order to pacify or please him—­to ensure a continuance of his benevolence on his behalf in the world of spirits.  Confusion of ideas and paucity of primitive language lead to personification and worship of a thing or being in which a spirit has taken up its abode in place of or in addition to worship of the spirit itself.  Thus Heaven (T’ien) itself came to be personified and worshipped in addition to Shang Ti, the Emperor who had gone to Heaven, and who was considered as the chief ruler in the spiritual world.  The worship of Shang Ti was in existence before that of T’ien was introduced.  Shang Ti was worshipped by the emperor and his family as their ancestor, or the head of the hierarchy of their ancestors.  The people could not worship Shang Ti, for to do so would imply a familiarity or a claim of relationship punishable with death.  The emperor worshipped his ancestors, the officials theirs, the people theirs.  But, in the same way and sense that the people worshipped the emperor on earth, as the ‘father’ of the nation, namely, by adoration and obeisance, so also could they in this way and this sense worship Shang Ti.  An Englishman may take off his hat as the king passes in the street to his coronation without taking any part in the official service in Westminster Abbey.  So the ‘worship’ of Shang Ti by the people was not done officially or with any special ceremonial or on fixed State occasions, as in the case of the worship of Shang Ti by the emperor.  This, subject to a qualification to be mentioned later, is really all that is meant (or should be meant) when it is said that the Chinese worship Shang Ti.

As regards sacrifices to Shang Ti, these could be offered officially only by the emperor, as High Priest on earth, who was attended or assisted in the ceremonies by members of his own family or clan or the proper State officials (often, even in comparatively modern times, members of the imperial family or clan).  In these official sacrifices, which formed part of the State worship, the people could not take part; nor did they at first offer sacrifices to Shang Ti in their own homes or elsewhere.  In what way and to what extent they did so later will be shown presently.

Worship of T’ien